After disastrous eighth, a joyous 10th for Nats (updated)

MIAMI - They led by four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Stephen Strasburg had dominated the Marlins for the umpteenth time. The Nationals just needed to finish off a last-place opponent and move one step closer to a berth in the wild card game.

And then Fernando Rodney took the mound, charged with protecting a four-run lead. And the enigmatic reliever remained on the mound until that four-run lead was gone and panic began to consume living rooms throughout the DMV while hope suddenly emerged throughout the previously disconsolate Chicagoland.

Is this how the Nationals were going to squander a seemingly simple opportunity to move one step closer to a postseason berth, coughing away a sure win on a Saturday night at Marlins Park?

No. Because just when they looked ready to cave under the pressure, the Nationals dug deep and pulled victory back from the brink of disaster with a barrage of big hits to give themselves an even more comfortable lead than they had before the roof almost collapsed on them.

Clutch 10th inning hits from Brian Dozier, Adam Eaton and Kurt Suzuki erased the bad vibes from Rodney's meltdown in the eighth and propelled the Nationals to a 10-4, extra-inning victory that was way more stressful than it needed to be but remained just as important in the big picture.

"There's nothing really else to do but try to answer back," first baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "You can't change what's already happened. It's pointless to sit there and think about it. Take what the game gives you and move forward."

Yeah, but what an answer. After surviving their latest bullpen disaster, the Nats seized back control of the game in the top of the 10th, scoring six runs on five hits and two walks. Zimmerman got things started with his third single of the night, then put his aching foot to the test scampering from first to third on Victor Robles' subsequent single.

"At that point, getting on third is the most important thing," the soon-to-be 35-year-old said, adding: "Just know the situation. Know where everyone's playing. And make a read."

The situation might have called for a pinch-runner, someone younger and more spry who was more of a sure thing to reach third. For Davey Martinez, there was no better option in that moment than Zimmerman.

"Here's what I know about Zim: He's one of our best first-to-third guys that we have," the manager said. "We thought about (pinch-running for him). That ball was hit fairly soft. A lot of guys would've stopped at second. I knew right away he was going to third. He's a good baseball player. He understands. He runs the bases well."

With the go-ahead run on third, Dozier (a forgotten man for much of September) came through with his biggest hit in some time, lining a single to left to bring Zimmerman home and give the Nationals the lead again.

"Professional," Martinez said. "Veteran guy. He understands. I liked him there because of sinkers in. I thought he was going to get a sinker in, and he crushed it."

Eaton then tacked on with a two-out, opposite-field single. And after Juan Soto drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to three runs, Suzuki (appearing for the first time since injuring his elbow on Sept. 7) doubled the lead with a three-run double into the left field corner.

"It felt good," said Suzuki, who has been cleared to pinch-hit but not catch yet. "I've been taking BP. I was kind of itching to get back in the box, get in the game and try to help out the team. It was nice to be out there."

Tanner Rainey then finished it off in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Nationals a very-much-needed win on a very stressful Saturday night.

Thus did they reduce their magic number to clinch a wild card berth to five, dealing the reeling Cubs another blow. They also continue to cling to a one-game lead over the blazing-hot Brewers, giving them home field advantage for a potential Oct. 1 do-or-die game.

"It's not about one guy, it's about all of us," Strasburg said. "I think the highlight for me was Dozier getting out there, Coach Dozier, coming up with a big hit. And then Zuk obviously coming in and picking up right where he left off. It was fun to watch."

After using Daniel Hudson for a six-out save Friday night, Martinez knew he'd have to piece together the late innings differently tonight. He decided to go with Rodney in the eighth, then presumably Sean Doolittle in the ninth.

Rodney, though, immediately got into trouble. He gave up a leadoff double to Miguel Rojas, with Eaton misplaying the ball in the right field corner and letting Rojas reach third base. After striking out Neil Walker, he gave up an RBI double to Starlin Castro, then walked Isan Díaz to bring the tying run to the plate.

As Hunter Strickland and Rainey began warming in the bullpen, it seemed only a question of when Martinez would make a move, not if. But he kept sticking with the 42-year-old Rodney, believing he was better equipped to pitch out of his own jam than handing it over to one of the others.

"We had guys up, but you know what? I know Fernando," Martinez said. "He can typically get out of a jam. He's going to throw strikes. He was the guy for me right there."

Turns out Rodney was not the guy on this night. He gave up a single to Harold Ramirez, loading the bases. And when Austin Dean ripped a double into the left field corner, all three runs scored, leaving the game tied and finally bringing Martinez out of the dugout to make a pitching change that felt more than a little too late.

"He was just up in the zone," the manager said. "He's been pitching really well. He was just up. He got 0-2 to Rojas, and that ball was just up, out over the plate. Changeup was up. Just one of them days for him."

Strickland would at least get out of the inning with the game still tied, but the Nationals now needed to rally to re-take the lead. They weren't able to do it in the top of the ninth, with Howie Kendrick (who was pulled back from the on-deck circle after the Nats extended the lead to 4-0 in the eighth) getting jammed by reliever José Ureña and sending a fly ball to shallow center field to strand two runners and send the game to the bottom of the ninth still undecided.

Wander Suero retired the top of the Miami lineup in order, sending the game into extras.

All of this came after the latest utterly dominant performance by Strasburg against the Marlins. There are few surer things in sports.

Strasburg has made 14 starts against the Marlins over the last four calendar years. His record in those starts is 12-0. His ERA is 1.23. He has 119 strikeouts and 22 walks.

Strasburg, as so often happens when he faces this opponent, was in complete control from the moment he stepped on the rubber. He allowed a baserunner here and there but never got himself in serious trouble. He never had a particularly laborious inning, and his pitch count was never a concern, until his final frame.

Strasburg just did what he does best: Dominate an opponent with one of the best four-pitch arsenals in baseball. He threw his two-seam fastball, curveball and changeup roughly the same number of times as each other. He actually stayed away mostly from his four-seam fastball, preferring movement over velocity.

He looked like he might finally hit a wall in the bottom of the seventh, when he issued a pair of walks and then hit Jorge Alfaro with a pitch to load the bases with two outs. But he calmly got Magneuris Sierra to fly out to right, and so Strasburg walked off the mound having completed seven scoreless innings on 109 pitches.

He finished his 2019 matchup with Miami having gone 4-0 with an 0.96 ERA in five starts, having tossed 24 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

He was in line to earn his fifth win against the Marlins, too, thanks to four runs of support from his teammates. The Nationals got RBI hits from Strasburg (his 10th of the season) and Asdrúbal Cabrera early, then a pair of key insurance runs driven in by Robles and Yan Gomes in the top of the eighth.

That should've been enough. Up 4-0 in the bottom of the eighth at Marlins Park? Seems safe. Alas, with this team there is no such thing.

"It's just about picking each other up," Suzuki said. "It's a team game. They pick us up a lot. We pick them up a lot. It makes for some good chemistry."